Green Light For New Housing

Council Moves On Upscale Plans

Two upscale housing projects, one on the grounds of the Goodwin Estate and another downtown at the Civic Center, moved forward Wednesday night before the Hartford city council.

The council unanimously approved three zoning ordinances necessary to allow construction of about 60 housing units on the 17.5-acre Goodwin Estate, a neglected West End landmark the city has been trying to redevelop since buying it in 1988.

``It's been a long time,'' said Council Majority Leader Elizabeth Horton Sheff. ``I'm glad to finally see it. It's a beautiful piece of land.''

The Goodwin Estate is to be redeveloped by Ginsburg Development Cos. of Hawthorne, N.Y., which plans as many as 59 attached single-family homes on the grounds and four condominiums in the Goodwin mansion.

The homes are expected to sell for about $315,000 each. The condominiums will be built within the shell of the ruined mansion, a landmark whose exterior will be preserved. It was damaged by fire in 1997.

A proposal by another developer to build shops, offices and 280 apartments as part of a $120 million makeover of the Civic Center Mall took a smaller step forward Wednesday, winning supportive reviews during a public hearing.

Northland Investment Corp., a Boston real-estate firm that has been heavily investing in downtown Hartford, has proposed demolishing the mall surrounding the Civic Center Coliseum and replacing it with ``Town Square.''

It would feature 240 apartments in a 32-story tower rising at Asylum and Trumbull, plus 40 flats above street-level shops along Asylum between the tower and Ann Street. The Civic Center Coliseum would be untouched.

The project attracted comments from only a half-dozen speakers. Only one man opposed the development. Town Square is one of Gov. John G. Rowland's ``Six Pillars'' of economic development for downtown Hartford.

Northland would like to remove two skywalks connecting the Civic Center to CityPlace and an office complex on Trumbull Street. But James Byrne, a representative of Travelers, put the council on notice Wednesday that that company has an easement or right of way to the Trumbull Street skywalk.

Northland and Travelers are discussing the issue, he said.

Town Square will be reviewed today by the council's planning, economic development and zoning committee.